Transforming Industrial Engineering Education: Introducing the CWILE Model for Work-Integrated Learning in the Digital Age

Abstract

Thailand's industrial sector has made significant progress in adopting and implementing technology associated with Industry 4.0. As technology advances and industries become more digitally driven, a skilled and adaptable workforce becomes paramount. The responsibility for cultivating such human resources lies with educational institutions. They are the foundation for developing a workforce that can thrive in the digital age by staying responsive to industry trends, fostering business collaboration, and prioritising technical and soft skills. Work-integrated learning (WIL) is one of the educational programs that can help improve student skills by integrating the theoretical exploration of a particular subject with its practical implementation within a professional environment. The WIL program enables individuals to demonstrate competence, expertise, and the capacity to keep up with contemporary technologies. This paper proposes the new WIL model for the WIL program in the industrial engineering profession, known as the CWILE model. The study aims to identify and establish the benefits of the CWILE model. These benefits include enhanced skill development, improved readiness for industry demands, and a seamless transition from education to the workforce. The initial step in the research procedure involved collecting stakeholders' perspectives on the existing WIL program in the industrial engineering department of the engineering faculty at Rajamangala University of Technology Lanna (RMUTL), Thailand. Following stakeholder feedback, the CWILE model was developed and implemented with the participation of eighteen students in the WIL program. The effectiveness of the CWILE model was assessed through a comprehensive evaluation of student competencies: core competency, functional competency, and professional competency. The evaluations were conducted at three distinct intervals: before, during, and after instruction. This longitudinal assessment allows a nuanced understanding of how the WIL program influences student competencies. The results of this study show that the duration of attending the WIL program is positively correlated with an increase in all competencies.